Microsoft says Surface Pro tablet is coming to the UK in May

TABLET MAKER Microsoft revealed that it will bring the Surface Pro tablet to the UK by the end of May.

Microsoft's Surface Pro eschews the ARM processor and the stripped down Windows RT operating system in favour of an Intel chip and full blown Windows 8. The firm said that it will bring the Windows 8 tablet to the UK and other major European markets such as France and Germany by the end of May.

Microsoft added that its consumer Windows RT tablet, which has received mixed reviews and has not been the sales success that some rival tablet makers feared, will be released in Malaysia, Mexico, Korea and Thailand over the next two months. The firm said that means the Surface RT will be on sale in 29 countries, though given it has been on sale in key markets such as the UK and US for some time now, it is unlikely to result in a sales spike for the firm.

However Microsoft's big hope is the Surface Pro tablet aimed at its core business customers that want to run the full-fledged Windows 8 operating system on a tablet. The firm claimed that it has been having trouble keeping the 128GB Surface Pro tablet in stock.

Brian Hall, GM of Microsoft Surface said, "One of our biggest challenges has been keeping our 128GB Surface Pro in stock. We've worked hard to increase availability, and most retail partners in the US and Canada as well as the Microsoft Store now have the 128GB product consistently in stock."

He added that before the company makes products available in markets it needs to ensure that its retail channel has enough devices to meet demand.

Microsoft didn't reveal what its Surface Pro tablet will cost in the UK when it goes on sale next month. µ